Scotland: In Gord they trust

Pre-season in Poland proved Gordon Strachan is up against it, but he says Celtic are in better shape than a year ago

The first word Gordon Strachan uses to compare this pre-season to last is “relaxed”. That doesn’t mean he wants his players to get too relaxed, though. Seated in a transit bus for the Warsaw to Krakow flight within Celtic’s tour to Poland, the manager spied a wardrobe malfunction. The players had been told to wear black polo shirts, but Simon Ferry, the young midfielder, was donning a bright green T-shirt that conflicted with the dress code. “How much did you pay for that T-shirt, Simon?” queried Strachan. Ferry replied innocently that he got it for free. Once he was out of earshot, Strachan turned and smiled at his assistant, Garry Pendrey. “He says it didn’t cost him anything, but it has now. It’s cost him a £20 fine,” he laughed.

Not that Strachan has a liking for formality either. The previous evening’s post-match conference after a 1-0 loss to Legia